Hello,I have an Fplus set, which I am told is the norm, which makes it difficut to play with other instruments. However I see some players playing their pipes with other instruments. How is this done? Do pipers have two chanters, or must you choose either to play with only other Fplus pipers and forget playing with other instruments, or choose an F concert pitch chanter to play with other instruments, and give up playing with the majority of NSP players. I'd like to do both,.

You could buy a G set, which plays at written pitch - but they sound relatively squeaky, and are harder to play well.They are about 10% smaller than F sets, and making sure the fingers cover the holes is trickier.

Alternatively, you persuade all the other musicians to retune, or to buy instruments that can be played in F+.Often pictures of mixed sessions turn out to be pipes and fiddle only, as fiddles are easier to tune down by almost a tone than anything else.But the fiddlers won't like it. There might be a C whistle in there too.